1 MINI BIBLE COLLEGE Genesis and Exodus Study

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Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Introduction

Welcome to the Mini Bible College. We will be studying the Bible from beginning to end together over the course of the next 33 booklets. Our journey in understanding will take us from Genesis through Revelation. We will view the panoramic picture each Book of the Bible presents, study its outline, and, most importantly, focus in for a closer look at ways to apply what we learn. The Bible can be a confusing book. It is hard to keep track of

MINI BIBLE COLLEGE

what happened when and who was related to whom and what it all means. But each verse of Scripture, each tiny piece of the puzzle, adds up to a glorious whole. At the end of our trip together, my prayer is that you will have gained an understanding of how the Bible fits together. Having toured all the Books of the Bible, you will

Genesis and Exodus

come away with a snapshot image of each one, and you will be able to place it in the context of the history of God and man. You will have seen how God worked in Old Testament times, and you will

Study Booklet #1

have learned what changed with Christ’s coming and why. What you have believed with your heart will become established in your mind, and you will experience a new confidence and a new competence in expressing your faith to others. I hope you will plan to stay with us through the entire study, and that you will invite others to join us as we get acquainted with the most important book in the world, the Bible. Pack your bags and get on board, because we’re ready to begin! 1

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Tools for the Task

Chapter 1

The Apostle Paul tells us that the only way we can keep from

The Bible and Its Organization

being embarrassed or ashamed when the subject of the Bible comes

Its Meaning and Origin

up is to become “a workman”. The only way to really understand the

Before we begin our study of the individual books of the

Bible is to work at it. I would like to challenge you here, in the

Bible, let us look at the Bible itself, as a whole. Why is it called that,

beginning of this Bible study, to commit yourself to earnest and

and why is it so often referred to as “The Holy Bible”?

wholehearted study of the Bible. No book could be more deserving

The word “bible” comes from the word “biblia,” which is the

of dedicated, diligent, and determined study! If you desire to go

plural of the Latin word for “books.” So “bible” simply means “a

deeper than these survey studies take you, make a commitment to

collection of books”- sixty-six, to be exact. The word holy means,

find other tools that will enable you to dig deeper into the Scriptures.

“that which belongs to God” or “that which comes from God.” So

Besides diligence, there are some tools that will help you as

The Holy Bible is, literally, “The holy little books of God,” or, “a

you delve into these studies. The first one is obvious: you will need a

collection of books belonging to and coming from God.”

Bible, and if possible, more than one translation of the Bible. And, of

The Bible is also referred to as the Word of God. Why?

course, you will need a notebook and pen.

Because of statements made by apostles, like Peter and Paul. Second

Just as any job around the house is accomplished more easily

Timothy 3:16-17 is a good example: “The whole Bible was given to

and with better results when the right tools are used, so Bible study is

us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and

more effective when you use the resources available to you. Make it

to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and

a goal to accumulate the study aids we have listed, and you will be

helps us to do what is right. It is God's way of making us well

amazed at the difference they make.

prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.” (emphasis added) Over and over, we are assured that the Bible is not merely a collection of human writings about God. Instead, it contains the words of God Himself, written through the pens of men, perhaps as many as forty or more over a period of 1500 to 1600 years. The process by which God moved these men to write these books is 2

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

called inspiration, which literally means, “to breathe in”.

Peter

and man were in harmony with each other. But God made man a

described it this way: “No prophecy recorded in the Scripture was

creature of choice and man chose to turn away from God. Because

ever thought up by the prophet himself, for the prophecy never had

God cannot tolerate rebellion (sin), God turned away from man.

its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were

Thus, there was a “divorce” between God and man. That divorce

carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)

between God and man is the fundamental problem with which the all

The Greek word for “carried” presents a beautiful image. It is

the Scriptures deal.

the word “phero”. Imagine being in a boat carried along by the tide,

In the Old Testament, God says to us, “Will you believe Me

or blown along by the wind in the sails, and you have the idea of

when I tell you I'm going to do something about that divorce?” In the

inspiration as it is presented here by Peter.

New Testament, God is saying to us, "Will you believe Me when I tell you that I did do something about that divorce?" You see, the Old Testament books say, “Jesus is coming, and He is going to

Its Organization Having established what the Bible is, let us now look at how

reconcile that divorce between God and His creatures.” The New

it is organized. Contrary to what you might expect, the books do not

Testament tells us this good news: “Jesus came, and when Jesus

appear chronologically, nor are they grouped by author. Instead, they

came He did reconcile that divorce between God and man.”

are organized by type and message. The two main groups of books

Besides the major division of the Old and New Testaments,

are the Old Testament and the New Testament. This has not always

there are further divisions within each Testament. The books of the

been the case, for obvious reasons. In the days of Jesus, for instance,

Old Testament books come under five different headings.

there was no such thing as an Old Testament and a New Testament.

First, there are the five books of the Law. In these books,

The New Testament had not been written yet, so the books that

God tells us what is right and what is wrong, giving us His standard

existed in the days of Jesus were simply called “The Word of God”

for righteousness.

or “The Scriptures.” It was after the New Testament was written and

Next come the ten History books, which tell us, essentially,

brought together into a collection of books that the distinction was

that sometimes the people of God obeyed those Law books and

made between Old and New Testaments.

sometimes they did not.

Their stories serve as examples and

The essential message of the Old Testament books is this:

warnings for us. The key verse for all the history recorded in the

“Jesus is coming.” In the beginning, according to the Scriptures, God

Bible is found in the New Testament. Paul told us that everything 3

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

happened to the people we read about in the Bible for examples and

other letters were written by an assortment of people. Finally, there

warnings. When they obeyed the Word God gave them, they were

is one Prophetic book, The Book of Revelation.

examples for us. When they did their own thing, they were and are

As we study the Bible, come to the Old Testament realizing

warnings for us.

what its primary message is: Jesus is coming. That is what the Old

The History books are followed by the books of Poetry. In

Testament is really all about. Come to the New Testament looking

the Poetry books God speaks to the hearts of His people as they try to

for this message: Jesus came. That is what the New Testament is all

live out His Word in this world. For instance, the Book of Job speaks

about.

to the hearts of God’s people when they are hurting. The Book of Psalms speaks to their hearts when they are worshipping. The Book of Proverbs speaks to their hearts when they need the kind of wisdom that equips them to do business and relate to people. The Song of

Chapter 2

Solomon speaks to their hearts when they are making love. Each of

The Bible and It’s Purpose, Authorship, and Origins

these books contains practical help and encouragement for believers. The next section of the Old Testament is the largest. It is

Its Purpose

called The Prophets. This section is further broken down into the

From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible is basically about

Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets - not because of the

Jesus Christ. The Bible is not a history of civilization or a scientific

importance of their messages, but simply because of their length. It

textbook on creation. Some people think that the Bible is primarily a

took the major prophets longer to say what they wanted to say!

handbook for living a good moral life; many think that Jesus was

In the New Testament we have five kinds of books as well.

only presented as a teacher and example of this lifestyle. Jesus Christ

First there are the four Biographies of Jesus (also called the Gospels),

is the Bible’s one central theme. In support of this theme, though, the

written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Next comes one History

Bible has four main purposes. The first of these four purposes is this:

book, the Book of Acts. Then there are the epistles, or letters. They

to present Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of this world.

fall into two categories: the Epistles of Paul and the General Epistles.

Now, for us to understand this first purpose, we need to understand

Half the New Testament consists of letters written by the Apostle

why a savior is necessary. So the second purpose of the Bible is to

Paul to fledgling churches established after the Resurrection. The

provide for us the historical context in which Jesus came. 4

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

But in Genesis 12, the story slows way down. From this

theologians call “Special Revelation.”

The Bible is the special

chapter all the way through Revelation — all 1,178 remaining

revelation of God. It has a beginning. It has an end. Over a period

chapters — the plot line narrows. From this point on, the story is

of about sixteen hundred years, God moved men to write these books.

mainly about Abraham and his descendants, especially that one

But when the last words of the Book of Revelation were written, the

Descendant of his through whom all the nations of the earth are

Special Revelation was complete. The Special Revelation, or that

blessed, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

kind of inspiration, is no longer happening.

Once we have understood those first two purposes, the second

Now, having established that God wrote the books of the

two are obvious. Number three is to lead the unbeliever into faith;

Bible, we also have to say that men wrote these books. These men

and number four is to show the believer how God wants a believer to

were kings, fishermen, shepherds, generals, priests and a fig picker.

live.

One was a physician. One was a publican. They were all kinds of men.

Its Authorship Who wrote the books of the Bible? When and where? In what language, or languages?

Its Origins

Do any original manuscripts still

Who decided what writings should be included in the Bible,

exist? Who decided what to include in the Bible and organized it as

and when? How were the decisions made?

it is today? You do not have to study the Bible for long before these

In about 100 A.D., at the Council of Jamnia, the Old

kinds of questions occur to you.

Testament was officially compiled, although it had already been in

Let us consider, first of all, the authorship of the Bible. We

use for three or four hundred years. The books were included based

have already said, of course, that God wrote it, through the pens of

on the reliability of their human authors and their reputation as a

men (we will talk about who those men were later). But first there

prophet or scribe. Most of these books were written in Hebrew.

are two terms we need to understand when we talk about God writing

The New Testament books, most of which were written in

these books. The first one is revelation. Revelation is the general

Greek, were selected and compiled in about 692 A.D. at the Council

term that covers all the ways that God reveals truth to man —

of Trullan. The standard by which these books were chosen is called

through nature, through the Holy Spirit, through prophets and many

canonization, and it consisted of three criteria:

other means. The second term is inspiration. This refers to what the 5

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

1. Did an apostle or the close associate of an apostle write this book?

Chapter 3

2. Did the book have the kind of spiritual and devotional

How to Study the Bible

content that ministered grace to the believer? 3. Did the content of this book agree with the content of the

When it comes to really studying the Bible, we need to be

other inspired books, and was there unanimous agreement

careful and wise. One effective method of study is this four-part

among the churches regarding the inspiration of this

process: observation, interpretation application, and correlation.

book?

Observation comes first. As you read the passage through,

How is it that books written so long ago are still available to

you should be asking the question, “What does it say?” Next comes

us today? They have been very carefully preserved. Obviously, we

interpretation, during which you ask, “What does it mean?” Then

do not have any of the original manuscripts; paper does not last that

comes application. In this step, you’re questioning, “What does it

long. However, we have very good copies. Great care has also been

mean to me?”

taken in translating these documents into our modern language.

Scripture relate to the all the other books of the Bible?

Correlation asks the question, “How does this

Knowing what the Scriptures say and what they mean is important. But if you do not act on them, your study has been

In Conclusion How can we really know that the Bible is the inspired Word

meaningless. When you get to that section called "application," you

of God? How can we be sure the right books were chosen, that no

can find out what a passage means to you by making that broad

mistakes were made in the copies or translations? There is only one

question more specific. Try these questions to get you started:

way to know, and Jesus tells us what it is. He said, “If any man wills

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Are there any examples to follow?

to do, he will know.” It is found in your heart. When you come to

•

Are there any warnings to heed?

the Word of God with the will to do what it says, when you act on

•

Are there any commandments to obey?

what you find there, it makes such a tremendous change in your life

•

Are there any sins to forsake?

that you then say, “That is the Word of God. It has to be. There is no

•

Are there any new truths about God or Jesus Christ?

other explanation.”

•

Are there any new truths about my own life?

6

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

When studying the Bible, there are some rules that should

Here is another hint: always consider the context of any

guide us. Here is one. When you come to a passage of Scripture,

passage of Scripture. If you have ever been quoted out of context,

remember this: Even if there is only one interpretation, there can be a

you know how your own words can seem to mean something you

thousand applications. You may feel strongly about how a particular

never intended. Likewise, Scripture can be used to prove almost any

passage applies to your life, but please allow the Holy Spirit to work

point if you isolate a verse from the verses that come with that verse.

differently in someone else’s life through that Scripture.

Studying a single verse apart from its context is almost sure to lead to

Second, since the Bible is a book about Christ, you should

misinterpretation.

look for Christ all the way through the Scriptures as you study.

And now, having established a foundation for our study of the

Third, when you come to a verse that seems puzzling or obscure,

Word, we will dig in to the first book, Genesis. As we begin, my

always interpret it in light of verses that have a clear meaning. There

prayer for you is this: that you will get into the Word of God … and

are many verses of Scripture that are hard to understand. There are

let the Word of God get into you.

many verses that are not hard to understand. Rely on the clear ones to guide your thinking about the more difficult ones. This next one is important: never come to a passage of Scripture with your mind already made up as to what it means. You

Chapter 4

may be absolutely correct in the thinking you bring to it; but then

Genesis—A Book of Beginnings

again, you may not be! It will be difficult for the Holy Spirit to teach you if you are certain you already know what there is to know.

The Book of Genesis is about beginnings.

Another important principle, especially if you teach the

“genesis” literally means “beginning.”

The word

This book constitutes the

Scripture, is to be willing to obey it yourself before you teach it to

beginning of the Bible, but it is also a book about beginnings. The

someone else. And here is another one. Always remember that God

first beginning it describes is the beginning of the world.

speaks to us through His Word, so approach the Word of God

In Genesis, God tells us about man, as he was in the

prayerfully, asking God to reveal things to you personally through the

beginning and as he is now. This will help us understand ourselves.

Holy Spirit.

He tells us about sin. Seeing how sin began helps us see how it affects us today. He shows us His first communications with man, 7

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

and those first simple conversations help us see how He

Chapter 5

communicates with us as well. In the conflict between Cain and

Is Creation Credible?

Abel, we see how conflict begins, and we start to understand the conflict we experience today.

The Book of Genesis — indeed, the entire Bible — begins

In chapters six to nine, we read about the world’s first catastrophe, the flood.

with the story of creation.

And in this story, we find a picture of

Now, for all the significance of that fact, the account only

salvation. Because of Noah’s faith, God saved him from destruction.

takes up a chapter and a half. Why do you think that is? As we

And if we have faith, we, too, can be saved from the destruction of

discussed in our last chapter, this book was written not only to tell it

sin.

like it was, but also so that we can understand things as they are. Throughout the remainder of the book, we find story after

God does not owe us an explanation. He does not need to defend

story showing us that God is, ultimately, the One in charge. With the

Himself.

repetition of that theme, can we doubt that He is still in charge today?

believes He owes us an explanation of how He created everything.

He does not give us this creation account because He

Your assignment today is to begin reading the Book of

Still, we cannot pass over this book without a discussion of

Genesis. As you do, ask yourself the questions: What does this say

what is probably the most frequently debated issue in the Bible.

about the way things were? What does that imply about the way

There are typically two extremes on the subject of creation. First of

things are today? And how should that change my thinking and my

all, there is the position that says that the creation account in Genesis

life?

is not scientifically reliable, so therefore the Bible cannot be the inspired Word of God. The other extreme is the position that the question is not, “Is the Bible scientifically reliable?” but, "Is science biblically reliable?" Those who hold this position say, "The Bible is not on trial. Science is on trial." The real issue is this: Are the Bible and science compatible when it comes to how the world was formed? We need to put some things in perspective. First of all, the very nature of science does not leave room for belief in God, strictly 8

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

speaking. This is not to say that a scientist cannot be a devout

The word bara, or “create,” means to make something from

believer. But science itself is the study of data or phenomena that

nothing. This word is only used three times in this creation account.

can be observed and objectively measured and quantified or proven.

God creates in the beginning, in verse one. This first act of “bara”

It is based on experiments, conclusions, and applications.

accounts for the universe, the earth, and all plant life.

It is

controlled and controllable. By His very nature, God does not fit into that kind of study.

The other words between verses 2 and 20 are different. They

It is impossible to approach God through a

are words that indicate change, or taking something that exists and

scientific method. The only way to come to God is through faith, as

altering its form. The next act of creation takes place in the water. In

Hebrews 11:6 tells us: “But without faith it is impossible to please

verse 21 we read: “And God created the great sea monsters, and

Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is

every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed

a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw

We read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the

that it was good.”

earth” (Genesis 1:1). And then we read that, “the earth was formless

Again, there is an agreement between the biblical account and

and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the

science. Scientists seem to be very sure that animal life began in the

Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” (2).

water, and that is what the Genesis account says.

The Bible says, the Spirit of God began to move upon this

The next act of “bara” takes place in verse 27: “And God

creation and develop it and manipulate it and change it. For instance,

created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;

Genesis 1:9 says, “Then God said, ‘Let the waters below the heavens

male and female He created them.”

be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.’” (emphasis

The Genesis revelation of creation accounts for the

added)

beginnings of everything in the universe. After these original acts of God did not say, “Let the dry land come into being.” This is

creation, though, the Spirit of God changes and develops this original

not the moment dry land was created. It had apparently already been

creation.

created, in that initial act of creation, but had been underwater. In

forms evolving, and in this regard I see a parallel with evolutionary

this verse, it is being uncovered. It is interesting that the scientific

thinking.

community is certain this whole earth was under water at one time.

This parallels what scientists have observed about life

Where creationists and evolutionists cannot agree at all, though, is over the issue of what I call the three missing links. The 9

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

three missing links are focused in three questions. How did it all

and replenish the earth.” … And the Lord God said, “It is not good

begin? How did plant life become animal life? How did animal life

for the man to be alone. I will make an help meet for him.” And the

become human life? Science has no explanation for these missing

Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept ... and

links. Genesis, though, does. The answer of the Genesis account is

He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh thereof ... and out of

simply “bara” — God created.

the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made He a woman and brought her unto the man ... Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh. (Genesis 1:26-28a; 2:18, 21-24)

Chapter 6 The Birth of Mankind

In the Image of God The first thing that stands out in this passage is the fact that

We have discussed the origins of the universe; now let us get

man is created in the image and likeness of God. Those words are

more personal. In this chapter, we will consider what the Book of

familiar to us, but what do they really mean? Since God is a Spirit,

Genesis has to say about the beginnings of man. Remember, the

He does not have a body, and so this probably does not refer to they

purpose of the Book of Genesis is to tell it like it was so that we

way we look. What it does refer to is the capacity we have to be

might understand it like it is. As we come to the subject about the

spiritual. That is the way in which we are like God. Of course, in

beginning of mankind, we are coming to the subject of ourselves.

Genesis 3, we see that this resemblance to God is marred when Adam

What does the Book of Genesis have to say about God’s purpose in

and Eve sin. From that point on, the fundamental problem with

creating man? Let us start by reading the description of how man —

which Scripture deals is that of “recreating” God’s image within man.

and woman — came into being.

Genesis 1 and 2 show us man as he was created and as he was

God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,

intended to be. Genesis 3 shows us man as he is.

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air.” So God created man in His own image, in the image

Male and Female

of God created He him. Male and female, created He them. And

Another observation that we can make about the creation of

God blessed them and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply

man is that He created them male and female. This is the first 10

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

example of surgery with anesthesiology. The first anesthesiologist

them male and female. Picture a triangle with God at the top, the

was God! He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; then He took

man at the lower left corner and the woman at the opposite corner of

one of his ribs and from that rib He made woman. The symbolism

the triangle. If the man is related to God and if the woman is related

here is beautiful. God did not take woman from man's head that she

to the same God, then as that man and that woman move closer to

should rule over him, and He did not take her from his foot that she

God, they move closer to each other.

should serve him. He took the woman from the man's side, so that

As you study marriage in the Book of Genesis, you will

she would be close to his heart.

discover that it is to be an exclusive relationship in two senses. For

Why did God create woman? The Hebrew word for “alone”

the cause of marriage, a man leaves his father and mother.

He

might better be translated “incomplete”. The word “helpmeet” could

excludes that family with whom he has spent twenty or twenty-five

be translated “completer”. If you get into the Hebrew grammar, you

years. Also for the cause of marriage, he will forsake all others. He

find that when God brings this man and this woman together into

is to live with his wife exclusively for the rest of his life. The woman

what we call today “holy matrimony”, or sexual union, that man and

is to make this same exclusive commitment to her husband. That is

that woman united in one flesh make one whole man.

the blueprint of God for marriage.

It is important to note here that when God brought that man and that woman together, He brought into existence the most important institution we have on earth today. We call it the family, or the home. It was the plan of God when He made them male and

Chapter 7

female to take two persons and bring these two persons together into

Where Are You?

a partnership so that they could become parents.

And then, as

parents, they would produce persons who one day themselves would

One of the most familiar parts of the Book of Genesis is the

become partners and parents and produce persons who would become

third chapter, where Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. Chapter 2

partners and parents. This is the great law of life that has given birth

showed us man, as he was created and intended by God to live his

and nurture and direction to the whole human family.

life. This chapter shows us sin — as it was then, and as it is today. It

The partnership between the man and the woman is a very

shows Adam and Eve facing the same decision we all face many

important part of God's basic law of life. This is why God created

times every day: Are we going to have it God's way or are we going 11

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

to have it our way? God made us creatures of choice. Because of

then they were to give him life.

this, we can do God's will, or we can do our own will.

knowledge, and that tree was declared by God to be off limits.

But there was also a tree of

The third chapter of Genesis is describing that crisis the first

In chapter three, where the story of the first sin takes place,

time it happened. It is describing the battle of the wills as it was so

notice that the order of priority is changed. Instead of putting the eye

we can understand that battle as it is in our lives today. The setting

first, the food second, life third, and knowledge never, they put food

was described for us a little earlier, in chapter 2:8-9: ”The Lord God

first, then the eye, then knowledge — and they never got to life.

planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom

Instead, they got spiritual death. Deuteronomy 8:3 reads that “man

He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree

does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” We do not

grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life

really live when we go out and look for ways to get our needs met or

was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of

our desires gratified. According to this verse, true life comes from

good and evil.”

obeying every Word that comes from the mouth of God.

Somewhere along the way people have gotten the idea that

When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden, He provided

the forbidden tree was an apple tree, but there is no mention of

everything they would ever need. He knew their needs because He

apples, either here or in chapter three. Instead, we read about the tree

had made them. And because He made us, He knows our needs as

of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

well; and He has every intention of providing for them

Now before we go on, we need to talk about the kind of

Now, you might wonder why the eye came first in the list of

language that is being used here. This story is historical, but it is also

priorities. When the Scripture mentions the eye, it often does not

allegorical. An allegory is a story in which people, places and things

mean the literal eye. For instance, in Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus said,

have a meaning in addition to the historical or obvious meaning, and

“The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your

it is usually morally instructive.

whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole

In the description of the Garden of Eden, the types of trees we

body will be full of darkness.” Jesus was not talking about physical

read about indicate that God was going to meet the needs of man in

vision. He was talking about the way we look at things, our mindset,

this place. Notice the priority: first of all, these trees were to meet

our outlook on life. And when God placed such a high priority on

the need of man's eye; then they were to meet his need for food, and

what is pleasant to the sight in the Garden of Eden, He was really saying that they needed to look to Him to meet one of their greatest 12

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

needs. The greatest need they had and the greatest need we have is to

we are spiritually, if we will think about it, God is the One Who is

let God show us how we should see things.

making us know where we are and where we should be.

There is another picture in this chapter as well, though. After

Next God asks, “Have you eaten from the wrong tree?” (11b).

Adam and Eve gave in to temptation, we read that they heard the

Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, and now they were hiding in the

voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,

woods, clutching fig leaves to their bodies, suffering the

and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord

consequences.

God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to

distasteful, ask yourself this question: Have you been eating from the

Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (8-9)

wrong tree? Have you been disregarding or disobeying the Word of

It is interesting that God begins His dialogue with Adam and

If you are banqueting on consequences you find

God? Are you ignoring His direction in your life?

Eve by asking questions: “Where are you? Who told you that you

God’s fourth question, “What have you done?” is directed

were naked? (Genesis 3: 9-11) God already knew the answers, of

toward Eve, and it produces a confession, albeit on the heels of an

course; He is everywhere at once, seeing everything. God asked

excuse. The word “confess” comes from two words which mean, “to

these questions because of things Adam and Eve did not know. The

say” and “sameness”— in other words, “to speak sameness.”

questions were designed to get them to think. You see, when God

Literally, confession is merely agreeing with God about what you

asked, “Where are you?” He was really asking, “Why are you hiding

have done. God wanted Eve to put all the facts on the table between

from me?”

them, so they could deal together with what had really happened.

God’s second question, following Adam’s confession that he

And that is what He wants of us as well. He wants us to realize what

was hiding because he was naked, is a favorite of mine: “Who told you that you were naked?” (11a).

we have done and confront it honestly.

In the Hebrew, the question

Genesis 3 is a picture of two people who sinned and how God

literally reads, “Who made you know that?” The real answer, of

dealt with them, but it is also the picture of all of us, who have

course, is that God was the source of that information, just as He is

sinned, and it shows us how God deals with us when we hide from

the source of all information. There is some information He wants us

God when we sin. It is the picture of sin and its consequences. And

to have, and some He chooses to keep from us, but there is no

it is the picture of God pursuing the sinner and opening the lines of

information that He does not have Himself. Anytime we know where

communication.

13

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

These brothers’ names are very familiar to us — Cain and

Chapter 8

Abel. As the story goes, Cain had the idea to bring an offering to

Where Is Your Brother?

God. Since he was a tiller of the ground, a farmer, he brought that One of the main messages of the Bible is the need for man to

kind of an offering to God. His brother Abel was a shepherd, so he

reconcile with God. And He starts making reconciliation possible as

brought an animal offering. Abel’s offering was acceptable to God;

soon as the first sin is committed. In Genesis 3:15, the first messianic

Cain’s was not.

prophecy appears as God speaks to the serpent: “I will put enmity

Now, many people make the mistake of thinking that Abel’s

between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed.

offering was acceptable because it was an animal sacrifice. But

He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise Him on the

frankly, that is not in the text. Abel’s offering was acceptable to God

heel.”

because he himself was acceptable. Understanding that the serpent represents Satan, this is the

acceptable, because he himself was not (6-7).

first hint in the Scripture that God is going to bring Someone into this world Who is going to set things right.

Cain’s offering was not

When you come to the story of Cain and Abel, it is easy to

That is the prophetic

read in something that is not there. Cain was not instructed to bring

consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve.

an animal sacrifice. In fact, in the Book of Leviticus, people were

There were so many negative consequences! First, mankind

instructed to bring grain or produce offerings, if that is what they

was separated from God. And then in chapter 4 we read about

raised. So the type of offering is not the important issue in this story;

another consequence of the fall — conflict. God describes conflict

the men themselves are what is important.

for us - conflict as it was so that we can understand conflict as it is.

unacceptable, and when he discovers this, he is angry and depressed.

Cain himself was

We are in conflict with ourselves; we are in conflict with our

Just as He did with Cain’s parents, God asks questions:

spouses; we are in conflict with our children and with our parents.

“Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?” (6).

We are in conflict at the workplace, and, of course, we have conflict

Of course, God knows the answers to these questions very well. But

between nations. Conflict is one of our biggest problems. In Genesis

Cain’s stubborn heart appears not to be getting the message, so God

4, we will discover some of the primary causes of conflict and some

goes on: “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do

of the solutions that can resolve it. Genesis gives us this information

not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but

in the form of a story about two brothers. 14

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

you must master it” (7). Tragically, Cain does not master sin. In

Many people think this passage is telling us not to judge

verse 8, we’re told that he killed his brother in a fit of rage.

others. But Jesus was really saying what God was trying to teach

Once again, the questions come: “Where is your brother? What have you done?”

Cain: “You’re looking at the wrong issue. Stop worrying about your

But Cain, still stubborn, refuses to

brother, and take a look at yourself instead.”

acknowledge his sin until God makes it plain that He already knows

Thankfully, though, the death of Abel was not the death of

what has happened (9-10).

goodness. Two generations later, in Genesis 4:26, we see the first

In Genesis 3, the question was, “Where are you?” In Genesis

instance of man initiating communion with God, or prayer. Up until

4, the question is, “Where is your brother?” In asking this question,

then, all the communication between God and man had been initiated

God was trying to get Cain to realize what had really happened —

by God.

that he had taken out his anger on an innocent party, and that, in

We all deal with conflict at times. Sometimes we are not the

reality, he was still angry. His actions had not solved anything;

source of it; sometimes we are. But whenever you find yourself in a

instead, they had made things worse.

conflict, try to get control of your feelings enough to ask yourself

Backing up a bit, verse 7 is really the key to this whole story.

what the real problem is. And then, as Genesis 4:7 suggests, do what

It addresses the core issue of conflict, and it offers the solution: If

is right, be acceptable to God and yourself so you will not go through

you do what is right, you will be acceptable to God, you will be

life beating Abels to death.

acceptable to yourself, and you will not have to go through life beating Mr. Acceptable to death. There is a passage of Scripture from the Sermon on the Mount that parallels the story of Cain and Abel. It is found in the first five verses of the seventh chapter of Matthew. Jesus asks questions of hypercritical people. He asks them why they are so critical and how they hope to be effective with such a critical spirit? He uses the ridiculous illustration that they are like people who feel their calling is to find specks of sawdust in other people’s eyes when they have a log jammed in their own eye.

15

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Chapter 9

Yet God told Abram that he would “make [his] descendents as the

The Father of Faith

dust of the earth; so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendents can also be numbered.” (13:16) And by

We now come to the largest section of the Book of Genesis,

Abram’s faithful obedience to God’s every instruction, we can

which has to do with three well known Bible characters: Abraham,

presume that he trusted God in the matter — at least most of the time.

Jacob, and Joseph.

(see Genesis 16)

Remember, the amount of space given to a

subject tells us something about its importance. The subject of this section of Genesis, which tells the story of Abraham, is faith. As we

His Altars

study the next several chapters, God wants us to understand faith as it

We usually think of being called to a mission field or to a

was and as it is now.

church or to an organization. But do we think of being called simply

Hebrews chapter 11, which is known as the Faith Chapter of

to God? What if God asked you to head out into an unpopulated

the Bible, has this to say on the subject: “Without faith it is

wilderness without telling you why?

impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that

Abraham when he was 75 years old (see 12:1-4). God was calling

He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Abraham to leave his father, his home country, and all his relatives

(6)

and come into a barren wilderness.

That is what happened to

Since faith is so very important and God wants us to

There are two sides to this story, as there are to every God

understand faith, He tells us the story of a man named Abraham. This

story: the God - side, and the man - side. To see the God - side, study

man is referred to more in the New Testament than any other Bible

the appearances of God to Abraham. God appeared to Abraham eight

character, always in conjunction with faith.

times. It was He Who initiated the relationship, and that is true of

If you want to

understand faith, you need to understand Abraham.

every relationship with God. In Romans 3:11, Paul tells us that no man seeks God. It is God Who seeks man. If a man looks as if he is seeking God, he is only responding to the God Who is seeking him.

His Name This man is the walking definition of faith. When we first

God always initiates the relationship.

meet him at the end of Genesis 11, his name is Abram, which means

The man - side of the relationship, or the response of

“father of many sons”. An ironic name for a childless man of 75!

Abraham to God, comes in the form of the four altars Abraham built. 16

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

The first altar was erected in the plains of Moreh, where God

see why.

appeared to Abram and told him, “To your descendants I will give this land” (12:7).

Lot went east; Abraham went west and built his third altar at a

The word Moreh literally means “teaching or

place called Hebron. The word Hebron means "communion." I think

seeking.” I call that first altar of Abraham the “Altar of Response”

this name, too, is symbolic. Where the first altar said, “Teach me,”

because it was built in response to the God Who was calling him into

and the second altar said, “I am not sure”, or, “I am Mr. In-between”,

a wilderness.

this altar indicates, “God, I want to know You." I call this the “Altar

His second altar was built between Hai and Bethel.

In

of Relationship”.

Hebrew, Bethel means “the house of God”. Since God did not have a

In the first two chapters of Abraham's story, chapters 12 and

house at this point, this word appears to mean "the place where God

13, he built three altars. He does not build another altar until chapter

is". Hai means, “Ruin, misery, the pits”. Romans 6:23 says "the

22. What happened between the third altar and the fourth altars?

wages of sin is death", and that is what the name of this city

When Abraham said, "God, I want to know You," I think God

represents. Further east beyond Hai are Sodom and Gomorrah. At

replied, "Abraham, if you want to have a relationship with Me, I want

his first altar, Abram was saying, “Teach me”. At this second altar,

you to know something. If I am anything, I am everything. Because

he shows by its placement that he has not yet decided how to respond

until you see Me as everything, you have not seen Me as anything."

to what God is teaching him.

And Abraham’s life was full of other things that he did not want to

Abram leaves this second altar and goes south, geographically

give up.

and spiritually. He tells his wife to say she is his sister so the

In Genesis 16, we see Abraham and Sarah becoming

Egyptian men will not kill him to take her. He gets into a lot of

concerned about how God is going to fulfill his promise to give

trouble and seems to be “out of it” spiritually.

Abraham offspring — so they decide to help Him along. At his

After this incident, Abraham returned to the site of his second

wife's suggestion, Abraham has relations with her Egyptian maid

altar and called on God. After that sincere worship, he suggested to

Hagar (1-4). The child of that union was Ishmael, who fathered the

Lot that they separate. The Scriptures do not tell us what they talked

Arabs. There would not be any Middle East crisis today if Abraham

about, but it seems likely that God pointed out to him that he was not

had not decided God needed his help.

supposed to bring Lot with him in the first place. And since later on

I believe Sarah presents another kind of problem in

we find Lot entrenched in the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah), we can

Abraham's relationship with God. The third altar, the Altar of 17

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Relationship, deals with vertical relationship and horizontal

until now Abraham had picked the location, but this fourth altar is

relationship. They are inseparable. In order to know God, God had

different. This time, God picks the place. And this time, God names

to have His rightful place in all of Abraham's relationships. God had

the sacrifice — Isaac.

to speak to Abraham about Lot and get Lot out of his life. Lot

Isaac is not only the son of Abraham and Sarah's old age, but

represents the people we put in our lives that God does not want in

also the fulfillment of twenty-five years of faith. And now God says,

our lives. He also had to work Ishmael out of his life. Ishmael

contrary to what makes sense, "I want him." And Abraham takes the

represents the factor of faith that the greatest enemy of God’s best is

boy up on the mountain with every trembling intention of following

something good. God appeared to Abraham and told him to send

through with what God has asked. But at the last minute, when he

Ishmael away. One by one, God is rooting out all these people who

has proven his obedience, God provides a ram as a substitution for

are competing for first place in Abraham's life.

Isaac’s life (see 20:1-19). Abraham calls that place Jehovah-Jireh,

Sarah is a different kind of problem. Sarah is a picture of the

which means, “Jehovah will provide”. This allegory of faith says

people God does put in our lives but whom we do not recognize as

through the altars of Abraham, that on the mountain of Gods

God’s provision. God had to appear to Abraham twice about Sarah.

choosing, at the altar of “God first”, God provides the fruition of

The second time, He said, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call

twenty-five years of faith. Abraham did not offer up Isaac at this

her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her,

fourth altar. At the altar of

and indeed I will give you a son by her.” (17:15-16) When Abraham

Abraham.

heard this he fell on his face and laughed! When Sarah heard this

“God First”, Abraham offered up

The message of the Bible can be summarized in two words;

news she also laughed!

"God first". Now, that is not easy, but neither is it complicated.

A year later, a son was born to Abraham and Sarah, and God

Either He is your God, or He is not. Finally, for Abraham, He was.

told them to call this son Isaac, which in Hebrew means "laughter". God never wanted these "heroes of faith" to forget that they laughed at Him when He told them what He was going to do. Finally, when Isaac is a young man, Abraham builds the fourth altar, and this one is the most important. It was built on a mountain in Moriah. Moriah means "Jehovah will provide". Up 18

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Jacob woke from his dream filled with awe. "Surely God was

Chapter 10

in this place and I did not know it,” he said (16). And before he

Who Are You?

continued his journey, he took the stone that he had used as a pillow The story of Jacob is an incredible story. Jacob’s name meant

and anointed it with oil, vowing to give back a tenth of all God gave

“Graber” because when he and his twin brother were born, he was

him (18-22).

grabbing the heel of his brother who was born verse. He lived up to the meaning of his name. There were two things worth having in his

Jacob’s Battle

family and Jacob grabbed both of them. The birthright was the

Now what happens next is the main part of Jacob’s story.

inheritance that went to the oldest son and the blessing was the

After twenty very hard years working with his uncle Laban, Jacob

promise God made to Abraham that was passed on to their father

had a very subjective spiritual experience with God. That experience

Isaac and was to be passed on to the oldest son. Jacob’s brother

is described in the thirty-second chapter of Genesis, where we read:

Esau, sold the birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup and Jacob

”A Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He

deceived his father and stole the blessing from his brother. After

saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his

Jacob deceived his father and grabbed the birthright and the blessing,

hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with

his mother came to him and said, "You must leave, Jacob, because

him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I

your brother is going to kill you. Go stay with my brother Laban for

will not let You go unless You bless me.” So He said to him, “What

a few days until he cools down" (see 27:42-43).

is your name?” And he said “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name

The first night Jacob was away from his home, he had a

shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled

dream. In it, he saw a ladder on which angels were ascending and

with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked

descending. In this dream God appeared to him and reaffirmed the

Him, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it

covenant God had made with Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather. God

that you ask Me My name?” And He blessed him there. And Jacob

promised to make Jacob a part of the plan, adding, “I am with you,

called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to

and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this

face, and my life is preserved.” (24-30)

land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised

Notice the question God asks Jacob: “What is your name?”

you” (28:15).

In Bible times, names had significance, as we have already 19

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

discovered. They told something about the person they belonged to;

study, we will see that it often takes God a long time to get people to

they signified the person’s identity. With this question, God was not

“look up”. But looking to God is a must if we are to find out who

asking for Jacob’s name. He was really asking, “Who are you?”

we’re meant to be. After all, God is the one Who made us. He holds

And, of course, it was not because He needed to know the answer,

the blueprint for our lives.

but because He wanted Jacob to know the answer. The name Jacob,

Next, we need to look in.

In Psalm 139, David prayed,

as we have seen already, meant “Grabber”. But his new name, Israel,

"Search me, oh God, and know my heart, try me and know my

the name all his offspring would bear, meant “Fighter”.

thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the

Now there is one more item of significance in this story that

way everlasting" (23-24). We all need to ask God to look with us

we do not want to miss. I call it the "Cripple Crown Blessing".

into our hearts and lives and show us who He wants us to be.

Because Jacob was such a rascal, God could not bless him until He

Finally, we need to look around. The person who has looked

broke him.

up and who has really looked in is now ready to look around and

Sometimes God cannot get through to us any other way, and

relate to people and be part of God’s plan for the world. Have you

so He has to cripple us in some way, forcing us to rely on Him. That

ever really looked up to God to see what He says about your identity

is how it was with Jacob. And finally, Jacob got the message. When

in Him? How frequently do you look in to see the state of your

he finally met up with Esau — who, by the way, did not fight him,

heart? Are you looking around to see how God wants you to interact

but fell upon his neck and kissed him — he told his brother that he

with the people in your life?

had all his wives and children and flocks because “God has dealt graciously with me” (33:11). Not because he had grabbed them, but because of God’s grace. Grace is the attribute of God by which He lavishes upon us blessings we do not deserve. The mercy of God withholds from us what we do deserve. God also teaches us to submit to Him.

Sometimes He

chooses to do that by breaking us, so that he can bless us. We really need to look in three places in order to see who we are meant to be. First, we need to look up. Throughout the Bible stories we will 20

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

In the story of Jacob, Joseph’s father, we saw a man whose

Chapter 11

life was going very well, but not because he himself made it happen

The God Who Is in Charge

that way. God was actually in charge the whole time.

Joseph

We have now studied Abraham, who taught us about faith.

illustrates the same truth, but from another angle. In his story, we see

We have looked at Jacob, who showed us God’s grace. And now we

a man whose life, for a time, did not seem to be going very well. He

come to Joseph, whose story fills the last 14 chapters of Genesis.

was sold into slavery by his brothers; he was unjustly accused of a

Joseph appears to be one of the purest characters in Scripture.

crime; he was forgotten by those who promised to help him. But

With most characters in the Bible, God shows us their weaknesses as

none of these circumstances came about through his own actions. He

well as their strengths, but Joseph is one of the exceptions to that rule

was going through very difficult problems and circumstances, not

(the other is Daniel, whom we will see in a later study).

because he deserved them, but so that God could be glorified and His plan carried out.

Joseph’s Story The story of Joseph is really about the providence of God.

Applications for Today

The message of this story is summed up in one verse in the New

This story offers several applications for our own lives. First,

Testament, Romans 8:28, which says, "And we know that all things

consider the relationships Joseph had with his father and his brothers.

work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the

Those were far from model relationships! Jacob was clearly not an

called according to His purposes."

Joseph’s brothers were

ideal father. His partiality toward Joseph brought his son far more

understandably troubled when they found out who he was, but he

grief than pleasure — and it was certainly not fair to the other boys.

responded to them with these comforting words — words that assure

But who of us does have perfect parents? How many of us have

us of God’s working behind the scenes of our lives as well: “And

perfect relationships with our siblings? We did not choose the family

now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me

who raised us, yet its members shape our lives. Many of us have

here; for God sent me before you to preserve life … to preserve for

broken wings or deep heartaches or hardships in our lives because of

you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great

those relationships. But the message Joseph’s story has for us is this:

deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but

God is sovereign over the circumstances of our lives, and there is no

God.” (Genesis 45:5, 7-8)

situation so bad that He cannot redeem it and bring good from it. 21

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

God can use the influence of your parents even when your parents are

leader. The Book of Exodus is going to tell us about one of the

delinquent. God can use the influence of your brothers and sisters

greatest leaders in all the history of God's people, Moses.

even when they are delinquent. God used the adversity of Joseph’s

One of the big problems that Moses had in leading this great

dysfunctional family to providentially place Joseph in Egypt and save

multitude of slaves was that there was no law. There were no rules.

from starvation the chosen family, through whom the Messiah would

He had no structure by which to govern these people. And so in this

come into the world. God can use your response to the adversity of

book, we will see the first set of rules given to man by God, hundreds

your dysfunctional family to shape your life. One day you will see

of commandments summarized in Ten Commandments.

how the providentially arranged circumstances of your life to prepare

Moses has another problem: he has the right people, but they

you to play the role God designed for you.

are in the wrong place. They are in Egypt, in slavery, and God wants them to be free. The word exodus actually means "way out". And much of this book involves the story of the Israelites finding their “way out” of slavery. The Book of Exodus, in addition to being history, is also

Chapter 12

allegory. The Israelites were literally in slavery; without Christ, we

Genesis Ends, Exodus Begins

are figuratively in slavery to our sin. The Book of Exodus deals with As we study the Bible, and especially as we survey the Old

the problem of getting the Israelites out of their physical bondage; the

Testament, we want to consider the development of this very special

entire Bible deals with the problem of getting all people out of their

people into a nation. In the Book of Genesis we read that these

spiritual bondage to sin.

people were born through Abraham. Jacob gave them their name,

Have you been freed from the bondage of sin that God has

Israel, and Joseph saved them from starvation. When the Book of

provided for you? In the next chapter we will continue our study of

Genesis ends, this nation was only twelve families, and those families

the Book of Exodus. Begin reading it now, asking yourself those

were in Egypt.

three important questions: “What does it say?

When the Book of Exodus opens, this group of people that

And how can I apply this to my life?”

had not yet become a nation, had multiplied from twelve tribes into a multitude. Before they could become a nation, they would need a 22

What does it mean?

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Chapter 13

deliverance, especially in the Old Testament. Salvation is really

Making Somebody out of Nobody

deliverance from sin. Not only of sin's penalty, present and future, but also of sin's power.

To understand the book of Exodus, you need to understand

We should also focus our study of the Book of Exodus on the

the people, the problem, and the prophet. The Book of Exodus is the

character study of the prophet Moses. When you consider the men of

story of God’s people and how they escaped from slavery under the

God in the Scripture, this man stands head and shoulders above all of

leadership of Moses.

them. I believe, without any reservation at all, Moses is the greatest man of God in the Scripture. You can appreciate the greatness of this man Moses if you think about his contribution to the work of God.

Three Main Messages As we have seen, the word exodus means “the way out”. The

Abraham fathered the people of God and, as we have said before,

message of the Book of Exodus is really this: What is the way out of

Jacob named them, and Joseph saved them. But think about what

this slavery of the children of Israel? This slavery is, first of all, a

Moses did for the people of God! The Book of Exodus is the biblical

literal slavery, and the story of their deliverance from that slavery is

record of what Moses contributed to the work of God.

one of the greatest miracles of the Bible. It is a true story. It is history. How that took place and what that involved is the exciting

The Contribution of Moses to the Work of God

message of the Book of Exodus, and that is the first focus of this

First of all, Moses gave these enslaved people freedom. Most

book.

of us do not know what it is to be a slave. When people are in prison, By application, in addition to being historical, the book has a

the one thing that consumes them, that possesses them, is the desire

beautiful allegorical truth to be applied to our lives devotionally. The

to be free. Moses gave those slaves what they wanted more than

application is this: We, too, are slaves. We do not do what we want

anything else when he gave them freedom. Then Moses gave them

to do; we do what we have to do. And if we are doing what we have

what newly emancipated people need more than anything else in the

to do and not what we want to do, we are not free. If we are not free,

world: government, or law.

we are slaves and we, too, need a solution for our slavery. We need

In the spiritual realm, Moses gave the people of God two

to find deliverance from our slavery to sin. The word salvation, with

things that are invaluable: He gave them the Word of God, and he

which we are all so familiar, really means the same thing as the word

gave them worship. 23

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

When people read the Bible through, they do pretty well

Moses’ Story

going through the Book of Genesis, especially the character studies.

To be delivered from the power of sin yourself is the greatest

Then there is the drama of Exodus, the deliverance from Egypt. That

experience you can have in life. The second great experience in life

keeps them going pretty well. But when they get to the last third of

is becoming the instrument through which somebody else is

Exodus and on into Leviticus, they slow down, their reading becomes

delivered.

more difficult, and many quit reading the Bible. It begins to read like

Consider the life of Moses three periods, each one 40 years

an architects book of specifications, or a manual. That is exactly

long. In the first 40 years the main lesson God taught Moses was,

what it is. And when you understand the purpose of the manual, you

'Moses, you are nobody'.

will begin to find it exciting. This part of the Book of Exodus and

Through some unusual circumstances, Moses was raised in

the entire Book of Leviticus are a manual for worship.

the palace of the Pharaoh. (see Ex. 1-2:10) Perhaps it was because of

Left on our own, we do not know how to worship. Just as the

this that he might have thought that he was somebody special. But

apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, the Israelites needed

around the time that he was forty years old, God apparently

to be taught how to worship — and so do we. In churches that we

succeeded in convincing him that he was really nobody. (see 2:11-15)

call "liturgical," the minister has his back to the people with his face

The second lesson God taught Moses took place in the second

to the altar much of the time. These churches and the synagogues in

forty years of his life. This time, the message was, "Moses, you are

the Jewish faith have their roots in the form of worship we find in

somebody because I have chosen you and I am with you." At the end

this little tent of worship that God instructed Moses to build.

of his first forty years, Moses went out one day and looked upon the

I would like to look at the life of Moses in this way. The big

suffering of the Hebrew slaves, knowing now that he was himself a

problem in the Book of Exodus is the problem of slavery. The

Hebrew slave. Exodus chapter 2, verse 11 says, “Now it came about

solution is deliverance. God called Moses to be the deliverer the

in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his

children of Israel needed. By application, just as the Book of Exodus

brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian

is an illustration of deliverance, or salvation, the life of Moses is one

beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.” And the idea the passage

great big illustration of how to be a deliverer.

conveys is that he had compassion for them, and that he felt very deeply with them what they were feeling in all of their sufferings.

24

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

At that point, God essentially says to Moses, “That is no way

Can you imagine the shock this was to Moses? When Moses

to be a deliver, Moses. Let us go to “Seminary” for forty years and

failed to deliver these people by killing an Egyptian, God showed

think about how to deliver these people from their slavery. Forty

Moses that he was nobody.

years later, Moses was out in the desert and saw an acacia bush burst

convincing Moses that he was somebody.

into flame. Now, because of the intense heat in that desert, this in

lessons — that Moses was nobody, and that Moses was somebody

itself was not unusual there. Usually these bushes would be

when God was with him — add up to humility. God taught Moses

consumed in about five seconds. This time, however, the bush was

these two lessons to make Moses the human vehicle of the

not consumed; it kept burning. Moses went to find out what was

deliverance of Israel from Egypt.

At the burning bush, God was Basically, these two

happening (3:1-3). Watch what happens next. “So when the Lord

Most people in authority make every effort to pick the most

saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of

qualified people to do important jobs. In the Bible, it almost seems

the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then

that God tries to pick the man who is least qualified. If we are going

He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your

to be used of God to deliver people today, if we would like to see

feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He

some friend or loved one delivered from the bondage of sin, we need

said, “I am the God of your father - the God of Abraham, the God of

to remember this: We are not the deliverer. God is the Deliverer.

Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” (4-6)

A Lesson for Us

In this passage, God goes on to tell Moses that the important

A humble person understands Who is really doing the work.

thing is not that he has seen the problem of the awful slavery of

The humble person says, “It is the plan of God to use the power of

Israel. The important thing is not his compassion or desire to do

God in the people of God to accomplish the purposes of God,

something about this slavery. God tells Moses at the burning bush

according to the plan of God.”

that what really matters this that the God of Moses has seen the

In the Book of Exodus, God is like a Vine, and He is looking

problem and has come to do something about that problem.

for branches to be part of His Vine. God will not work without an

Therefore, God tells Moses that he is to go to Pharaoh and demand

instrument. Therefore, God must find His Moses. But once He calls

the freedom of the people of Israel.

His Moses, He has to convince him. He has to tell him, "Moses, you are nobody. You are not the one who is going to do this. When you 25

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

understand that, Moses, then you are somebody I can use, you are

wanted him to go to Pharaoh and demand deliverance for Israel in

somebody through whom I can work and you can discover the great

spite of it. In fact, perhaps God wanted him because of it. You see,

miracle of what I can do through somebody who has learned he is

God wanted it to be obvious that this deliverance, when it took place,

nobody."

was the result of His own power and not the charisma of some man. That is why He wanted a Hebrew, a shepherd, (whom Egyptians hated more than they hated Hebrews), perhaps a man who stammered, going into the presence of Pharaoh demanding the Chapter 14

release of His people. When His people were released, God did not

Human Objections and Spiritual Secrets

want anyone to say, "Oh, it was that Moses. Oh, he was so eloquent. Oh, I was there when he demanded the release of those people. It

We have seen how God prepared Moses for the ministry of

was dynamic!" God did not want it to be that way. That is why He

delivering the children of Israel. In this study we will look at the

chose the man He chose. Look at the words of verse 11: “Who has

secrets God shared with him that would make him the vehicle of

made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or

God’s deliverance; and we will see how Moses responded to God’s

blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

call to be a deliverer.

These questions are hard for some people to take. I think

God’s secrets for being the instrument of deliverance can be

what God was saying again was the same lesson we saw in the life of

summed up in one statement: “You’re not the deliverer - I am. On

Joseph: the dynamics of your life are designed by God. You may

your own, you cannot deliver anybody. But I can, and I am with you,

never know why, but God does make us the way He makes us. And

Moses. You do not even want to deliver these people, but I do. These

God was saying to Moses, "If I wanted an eloquent man, I would

secrets were true for Moses, and they are true for us as well. God

have made you eloquent."

taught them to Moses at the burning bush.

At that point, God gave him a little object lesson. God asked

Moses was concerned that he did not express himself very

him, "What is that in your hand?" And Moses said, "A shepherd's

well. This could mean that he did not think he was articulate, or perhaps he had a speech impediment.

rod." And God said, "Lay it down." When Moses laid the rod down,

Maybe he stammered or

it became something that God used mightily all through the ministry

stuttered. But whatever it was, God obviously knew all about it and

of Moses. The Word “dedicate,” literally means, “to lay down.” 26

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

Then God told him to put his hand inside his jacket and take it out

I do not want to, but He wants to and He is with

again. When he took his hand out, it was leprous. God told him to

me.

do this again and his hand was healed (2-7).

I did not, but He did because He was with me.

God was remarkably patient through all of Moses’ objections.

I call these four propositions, “The Four Spiritual Secrets.”

But when he finally says to God, “Please send somebody else”, (13),

I could not function as a human being or as a minister of the

he caused the anger of God to blaze against him. Now I wonder,

gospel without personally applying these spiritual secrets in my life

when God commissions you to be a deliverer, do you raise these

and ministry. I trust that you will also learn to apply these four

same objections? Do you end up saying, "Send somebody else, not

spiritual secrets, Moses learned at a bush that burned but was not

me”? So many of the people in the Scripture were honest enough to

consumed.

say to God, "God, I do not want to." That is what Moses was saying. In a sense, this is healthy, because the motives of the one who wants to are very often suspect. Eventually, of course, Moses did go. And he was successful.

Chapter 15

The success, however, was not his, but God’s.

Plagues, Miracles, and Principles of Deliverance

Some people have much ability and very little availability. Some are very short on ability and very long on availability. The

Now I would like us to focus on the story of deliverance

Scripture says to us that it does not matter whether you are long or

pictured in the Book of Exodus. As I have already observed, the

short on ability. The important thing is to be long on availability. In

word deliverance is synonymous with the word salvation. When we

the work of God, the greatest ability is availability. He does not use

come in the Book of Exodus to the subject of deliverance, to the

us because of who and what we are, or what we want, but in spite of

salvation these people of God experienced, we see the power of God.

who and what we are or what we want.

That is because there is no such thing as salvation, past or present,

The most important truths God taught Moses can be

without the power of God. In the Book of Exodus, you will see the

summarized in this short poem:

power of God displayed in a very unique way, beginning with the ten plagues.

I am not, but He is and He is with me. I cannot, but He can and He is with me. 27

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

For example, observe what Pharaoh says in Exodus 8:25 after

The Plagues The message of the ten plagues is a picture of a great truth

Moses demanded that the children of Israel be permitted to go and

that is taught in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. In 1 John 4:4,

sacrifice to their God. "You can sacrifice to your God, only do it in

that truth is expressed this way: "He that is in you is greater than he

Egypt! Do not leave Egypt!"

that is in the world."

That is the devotional application of the

After a few more plagues, Pharaoh again agrees to let the

message of the ten plagues.

people go and have their religious ceremony, but he insists on a

In Exodus 5:1, Moses and Aaron make their first plea to

compromise: "Well, you can go, but do not go very far." (28) This is

Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. But Pharaoh merely scoffs. After all,

also a picture of the way the pressure comes upon the new believer.

it was so ridiculous. What motivation would he have had? The

"All right, if you are going to be a Christian, go ahead, but I hope you

rationale they gave obviously meant nothing to Pharaoh: "The God

are not going to be one of those fanatics. I mean, I hope you are not

of the Hebrews has met with us; therefore, let us go because that is

really going to go very far or take this business too seriously."

what God told us to tell you.” (1)

In 10:8-10, after more plagues, Pharaoh relents a little more.

In this story, we also see what we might call "principles of

"All right, you can go, but you cannot take your children. Leave your

deliverance" from the power of sin or evil. As Moses demands the

children in Egypt."

release of the people of God and Pharaoh refuses to let them go, the

compromise our faith, he will try to get our children. It is amazing

plagues come and they keep coming. Ultimately, these plagues are

how many people have come to faith but they “leave their children in

very persuasive. Little by little, Pharaoh begins to yield to the power

Egypt.”

of God. But as he does, notice the dialogue between Moses and Pharaoh.

When Satan finds he is unable to make us

After still more plagues, Pharaoh says, you can go, but leave

Many people believe that Moses is the picture of our

your flocks and herds in Egypt (Exodus 10:24). This is like the evil

deliverer, Jesus Christ, and that Pharaoh is the picture of Satan, who

one suggesting that we not bring our wealth into our faith.

is the personification of evil. If we understand the dynamics of what

I believe this is a strategy of Satan, which you see personified

is going on between Moses and Pharaoh, we can understand the

here in Pharaoh. The first principle of deliverance is: Never, never,

dynamics of what is going on between Jesus Christ and Satan today

never, make any compromises with the devil. Do not let the evil one

in our deliverance, or salvation.

tempt you to stay in Egypt (the world), to be apathetic about your

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Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

faith, to leave your children in Egypt, or to leave your wealth in

Moses does what God tells him to, and the rest of the story is

Egypt.

well known. The water parted into towering walls, and the children of Israel marched between them on dry ground. When the Egyptians tried to pursue the children of Israel, the walls collapsed and the

The Miracles But if you are already into sin, as most people are, what is the

Egyptian army was drowned (14:21-28).

way out? The Book of Exodus tells us: to get out of the bondage and

When you come to the Old Testament miracles, you have to

tyranny of sin you need a miracle. We see a picture of the kind of

decide whether you believe in the supernatural or you do not believe

miracles we need pictured in the Passover, and in the crossing of the

in the supernatural. I believe in this miracle. I believe this story just

Red Sea.

as it is written. I believe it happened exactly that way. I believe this

Those miracles represent the children of Israel’s final

deliverance from Pharaoh.

story pictures our salvation. It takes a miracle for God to save you.

The ultimate plague is the wrath of God that takes the lives of

It takes a miracle for God to save me. That is what the miracles of

all the first born in Egypt. As God’s chosen people observe the Passover, the wrath of God passes over them.

the Passover and the Red Sea picture for us.

Jesus shows the

Once the children of Israel got through the Red Sea and were

relationship between this Passover and our salvation when He tells

out in the wilderness, they had a new, enormous problem. What were

the apostles that His death on the cross was the fulfillment of all that

those people going to eat and drink out in the middle of nowhere?

was pictured in the Passover (Luke 22:16).

Somewhere between two and three million people needed food and

Throughout the dialogue between Moses and Pharaoh, you

water. Moses had no idea what to do. But God did.

know that Pharaoh is not going to let the children of Israel go.

God comes through for them and meets their needs with

Pharaoh keeps changing his mind. He says, "You can go," but when

another miracle. One morning when they get up, there is a white

the plagues ease up he says, "You cannot go." Even after he releases

substance all over the ground. They say, "What is it?” In Hebrew

them, Pharaoh has another change of heart. When the people of God

the words "what is it" are translated "manna”, and that is what they

are backed up against the Red Sea, he assembles his army, and it

called it. From then on, it appeared for them every morning.

looks as if Pharaoh is going to slaughter them.

These children of

The food God provided for the children of Israel evidently

Israel obviously need another miracle.

met all their nutritional needs, because they survived on it for forty years. This supernatural provision points out another miracle that you 29

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

and I need — sustenance.

Who or what is the source of your

that the miracles that delivered the Israelites are a picture of the same

sustenance? Are you trusting in the economy of the country, or in

miracles that save you and save me today.

your own ability to get what you need? The true source of all we need is God. When we look to Him, He gives us what we need, when we need it. They had to gather this manna every day, which symbolized the instruction of Jesus, that when we pray, we are to ask

Chapter 16

our heavenly Father, “Give us this day, our daily bread.” Before our

The Spirit of the Ten Commandments

meals, when we thank God for our food, we are acknowledging the I would now like to move through the Ten Commandments,

fact that God is the source of that food and the source of everything

as we see them listed in Exodus 20:1-17. These Ten Commandments

we need. God's provision for the children of Israel during their forty

summarize the spirit of hundreds of more specific commandments.

years of wandering in the wilderness reminds us of the truth of God’s

The Ten Commandments were written on two tablets. On one

provision.

tablet there were four commandments, all of which govern our relationship with God:

Our Deliverance

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

In the Book of Exodus, we also discover the basis of our

2. You shall not worship idols.

salvation and our most important worship form. The sacrament at the

3. You shall not take My Name in vain.

heart of the deliverance of the children of Israel has become the

4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

sacrament at the heart of our salvation. The people of God had been

Those four commandments have to do with our relationship

instructed to sacrifice a lamb and spread its blood along the top and

with God.

both sides of the doorposts of their homes. This is a picture of the

The second tablet had six commandments on it, and those six

cross of Christ, which makes it possible for the wrath of God to pass

commandments are to govern our relationships with people.

over us. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for us, and it is His

5. Honor your father and your mother.

blood that saves us. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God, pictured by

6. You shall not murder.

the Passover lamb.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

My prayer is that as you read the Book of Exodus you will see 30

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

8. You shall not steal.

by His name. We are not to speak of Him carelessly or thoughtlessly

9. You shall not lie.

or disrespectfully, even when we are worshipping Him.

10.You shall not covet.

The fourth commandment instructs us to remember the

Let us look more closely at those Ten Commandments to see

Sabbath day and keep it holy.

what they really mean.

Literally, this had many, many

applications in the hundreds of commandments in the Law Books. A

The first commandment says, "You shall have no other gods

lot of the Jewish rules grew out of this commandment, but the

before Me." It has been said that the Bible can be sifted down to two

principle is similar to that of the first commandment: Put God first in

words: "God first".

your life. Set aside time only for Him. Another application of that

That is spirit or essence of the first

commandment.

Sabbath principle is plain rest. There are epidemic emotional and

The second commandment forbids us to make any graven

physical breakdowns and complete exhaustion because people have

image or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth and call it

violated the spirit of the fourth commandment.

God. Literally, this commandment is forbidding idolatry. The spirit

When you come to the second tablet, you come to the

of this law, however, is something like this: God is a Spirit. We are

commandments that relate to the people in your life. The first one, of

instructed to come to God by faith. Since God is a Spirit, the object

course, applies to your parents. In the normal course of things, those

of our faith is always going to be unseen. That is the way God has

are the first people you are going to have anything to do with. This

structured our approach to Him and our relationship with Him. He

fifth commandment says that we are to honor our parents. This is the

wants us to come to Him by faith. If we try to make something

only commandment that has a promise: If you will honor your father

material or tangible and say that thing represents God, we are

and mother, your days will be long upon the earth (12). Make the

eliminating the need for faith.

observation though, that the commandment is to honor your parents.

The third commandment was that we are not to take His name

The commandment is not necessarily to obey them.

The Bible

in vain. Although most people presume this to apply primarily to

teaches that children are to obey their parents.

profanity, the essence of this commandment is broader than that. It is

children, you obey. But this commandment is talking to adults, and it

really saying this: Any time you speak the name of God, even in

is commanding us to honor and respect our fathers and mothers. One

worship, you should remember Who God is and not speak His name

reason this is important is it shows your children how they should

in vain, or without being called according to the purposes represented

honor you. 31

When you are

Booklet #1: Genesis - Exodus

The next commandment informs us that we are not to murder.

little lies, black lies and white lies. One of the cleverest ways to lie is

It is not literally "you shall not kill" because there are places in the

to tell the truth out of context, or to tell only part of the truth. People

Bible where God commands His people to kill (see Genesis 9 and

become experts at this when they want to assassinate someone’s

Romans 13, among others). The spirit of this commandment is that

character. But the commandment cuts through all this when it simply

life is in the hands of God; God gives life and it must be God's

says: "You shall not bear false witness." It does not matter how

prerogative to take life.

cleverly you do it. If you give a false impression, big or little, by

The seventh commandment tells us not to commit adultery. I

omission or comission, you have violated the ninth commandment.

believe the spirit of this commandment is what we might call

The spirit of the ninth commandment is to communicate the truth by

"children's rights." It is the plan of God, as stated back there in

talk, gestures, or other means.

Genesis 2, to take persons and make them partners, so that they might

The last commandment says that we are not to covet. The

be parents and produce persons who become partners and parents.

spirit of this one is similar to the spirit of the eighth one, "You shall

Marriage is the secure context in which God wants children to be

not steal." God does have a will about what we have. The spouse we

nurtured and prepared to face life. The security of children, then,

have, the family we have, the house we have, the position we have,

depends on the commitment or the fidelity of that married couple. I

our whole place in life. God has a will about all of those things.

believe that truth is at the heart of this commandment. God is

According to the Scripture, we are not supposed to compare

thinking about families and children when He commands: "You shall

ourselves to other people. We are all unique individuals. When God

not commit adultery."

made you and when God made me, He threw the pattern away. He

The eighth commandment is, "You shall not steal." The spirit

does not want us to be like anybody else. He does not want anybody

of this commandment is that God is a God of order. Based on His

else to be like us. Now if that is true, then we should not compare

grace and our sowing and reaping, we accumulate certain assets in

ourselves to others and we should not envy or covet what other

life. When you steal, you violate the order God intended. This God-

people have. Envy and covetousness show that we are dissatisfied

ordained structure is the spirit of this commandment.

with God's will for our lives. I believe that is the spirit of the tenth

The ninth commandment is, "You shall not bear false

commandment.

witness." This is one commandment I do not think most people have looked at closely enough. We tend to think in terms of big lies and 32